Alert workerspots suspecton return visit

A stolen Rolex and a dropped cell phone led to the arrest of a Memphis man.

When a man strolled into the Germantown Centre, presumably to work out one afternoon last week, one of the employees thought he looked familiar and called police.

Police say the employee thought the man looked like the suspect who had cut a lock off a locker and took a Rolex watch in April.

Now Christopher Pernell Jones, 42, of 6646 Kirby Meadows Cove in Memphis is not only facing a theft of property charge for the stolen watch but also aggravated assault and evading arrest after he struggled and escaped temporarily from the police.

"The employee recognized him from earlier video surveillance at the center. When two officers arrived, the suspect was seen at the outdoor pool. Officers chased him on foot through Municipal Park and to the parking lot at Germantown Community Library," said Capt. Lee Covey with the Germantown Police Department.

"Jones was able to start the vehicle and put the manual transmission in reverse," wrote Officer T.M. Broadnax in his police report. Langford was already in the driver's car door opening when the vehicle started, so Langford "jumped onto the (car's) kick plate and held onto the door frame as Mr. Jones reversed his vehicle at a high rate of speed in a circular motion," Broadnax wrote.

When the car hit a curb and came to an sudden stop, Langford jumped off. The car was last seen heading onto Farmington.

Langford, who wasn't hurt in the scuffle, managed to read the car's license plate.

Police say it also helped that the suspect dropped his cell phone, which helped crack the case.

Jones was arrested Sunday and was released on a $5,000 bond Tuesday. He is set to make an initial court appearance Aug. 22 in Germantown Municipal Court.

"It's difficult to believe he (Jones) would return to the center," Covey said.